What Do You Think Happens To Barry Bonds?

[bsmooth]

Yeah, but speeding, jaywalking, and drinking beer on the sidewalk are also against the law, but I don't consider people who do those things criminals.

I don't think that the law has to vigorously hunt down and convict every person that commits a crime, if that crime isn't causing damage or risk to others.

Bonds probably lied under oath.  That is true.  But it's not about anything of consequence.  You'd be shaking him down for the sake of shaking him down.  He's not a danger to society that needs to be put in prison, is my point.  He hasn't wronged anyone else that deserves retribution, either, in my opinion.

This was not a witch hunt for Bonds. The Feds went after BALCO for making and selling illegal drugs. Bonds was brought forth to testify as his name came up as a customer. He lied under oath in a criminal trial because he was more worried about protecting his name than helping convict an actual criminal.
So yes he does deserve to be prosecuted and what ever sentence the judge gives him.
If this was a normal person being prosecuted for lying during a criminal court case you and the other naysayers would not give two shits. Lying under oath is a crime wether it is for a civil case or a murder trial for a serial killer. The law does not recognize differences in perjury in different court cases, so neither should the people.

[Dave Gray]

I'm not saying whether or not he deserves it.  I just don't see how it helps society to go after him with such vigor.  By the way, I don't give two shits about Bonds, either.  I'm not a fan of his or anything like that.  I just don't really see the point in all of this.

[EDGECRUSHER]

Both of your examples were spinoffs from criminal investigations into other areas. This happens all the time in criminal investigations as leads turn up.
Both men could have avoided any criminal prosecution by admitting their mistakes, but they tried to lie their way out of it because of pride and arrogance.

I agree that they should be punished and shouldn't get off due to their celebrity. However, Bonds doing steroids and lying about it isn't a big deal in my life, let alone worth the millions of dollars and thousands of man hours. I am fine with that prick going to jail. I am not fine with more resources being devoted to that than most murder cases.

[CF DolFan]

This has absolutely nothing to do with steroids at this point. He, as is Roger Clemons, is NOT being prosecuted for steroids. He is being prosecuted for lying under oath. You can be proscuted for lying to an officer of the law too. The very fact that many people don't see this as a big deal is the very reason it has to be punished to the highest extent. From wikipedia ... Perjury is considered a serious offense as it can be used to usurp the power of the courts, resulting in miscarriages of justice. In the United States, for example, the general perjury statute under Federal law defines perjury as a felony and provides for a prison sentence of up to five years

Our social morality line has corrupted our sense of right and wrong. I don't believe 50 years ago that many people would have defended his lying under oath as no big deal.

[Jim Gray]

^^^^ I agree with CF on this.  Lying under oath must be punished when discovered.  I realize it's going to be done, but it's necessary to make an example of those who commit perjury if our legal system is to have any credibility.   

[masterfins]

^^^ I also agree with CF.  Another point to mention is that Bonds' trainer is now doing his fourth stint in jail for contempt of court, in not answering questions about Bonds.  I'm sure he's expecting, or has received, a sizeable sum of cash from Bonds.  Although it is speculation on my part, Bonds has probably also committed witness tampering.

[bsmooth]

I agree that they should be punished and shouldn't get off due to their celebrity. However, Bonds doing steroids and lying about it isn't a big deal in my life, let alone worth the millions of dollars and thousands of man hours. I am fine with that prick going to jail. I am not fine with more resources being devoted to that than most murder cases.

But the lying about steriods took part in a criminal trial for a company that was producing and selling illegal drugs( serious offence) and his name came up as a customer. If Bonds told they truth, this would have been another nail in BALCO's coffin, but by lying he now opened himself up to criminal charges stemming from a federal drug case.
No on believed he was natural so admitting it would not have changed much. So I hope he is found guilty and gets the maximum sentence for being arrogant.

[Pappy13]

^^ Has anyone actually read Barry's testimony? Pretty interesting. His relationship with Greg Anderson is what I think most have a hard time believing.

First off Greg Anderson has flat out refused to talk about what he gave Bonds and has gone to jail for over a year and continues to say that he'll do more and not talk about it. In Bonds testimony, he never really flat out denies that Greg gave him steroids, actually what he ALWAYS says is that "Greg wouldn't do that to me, he's a friend". But he also admits that he lost touch with Greg for several years (they were childhood buddies) and only met him again a few years earlier. So this friend is so close to you that he would never knowingly give you steroids and would go to jail for a year rather than testify that he DIDN'T give you steroids? I mean that must be what he would testify to if he did testify, right? I find that a bit hard to swallow. In fact at one point in Barry's testimony he seemingly incriminates his good buddy. They are asking him what he thought "the cream" and "the clear" were and Bonds says he thought it was just some pain cream and flax seed oil at the time, but when pressed as to what he now believes he says he isn't sure, that he has some doubts because of all the alegations and such. Your buddy has gone to jail for you and you never asked him what the stuff he was giving you was because he's a friend and wouldn't give you anything bad for you, but you don't have any problem throwing him under the bus. Must be nice to have friends like that.

[Sunstroke]

Greg Anderson is accepting the jail time because Barry agreed to pay him a Greek boatload of money to keep his pie-hole shut. <---- Obviously speculation, but it rings the "truth" bell in my head with extreme volume.

[bsmooth]

Greg Anderson is accepting the jail time because Barry agreed to pay him a Greek boatload of money to keep his pie-hole shut. <---- Obviously speculation, but it rings the "truth" bell in my head with extreme volume.

I wholeheartedly agree that Bonds is paying him to keep quiet which would add witness tampering to his charges